Central Subway could start partial service in time to serve Warriors’ arena
By Michael Cabanatuan
Updated 5:24 pm, Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Even before the Central Subway’s delayed Chinatown Station is completed, Muni could begin providing limited service on the rest of the line, perhaps in time to haul fans to and from the Warriors’ new Chase Arena when it’s projected to open in fall 2019, The Chronicle has learned.

Limited service, which would need approval from the state Public Utilities Commission, could ease a potential problem if the subway isn’t open in time for the arena’s scheduled debut in August 2019 and the start of the NBA season a couple of months later . . . .

The $1.6 billion Central Subway, an extension of the T-Third line from Fourth and King streets to Chinatown, was supposed to be open early in 2019. But an independent federal monitor said earlier this year that continued delays on the Chinatown Station would push the opening back about 10 months.

Construction is moving swiftly on stations at Union Square at Stockton and Geary streets and near Moscone Center at Fourth and Folsom streets. Track has been laid through the subway’s portal near Bryant Street, through the Yerba Buena/Moscone Station, and rail crews are headed toward the Union Square/Market Street Station. All of the rail, except through the Chinatown Station, should be completed by January . . . .

Up and running for less than three months on a portion of its planned 70-mile route, the North Bay’s new commuter rail line is pursuing a plan to branch out to Solano County, where it would connect with the national rail system running from coast to coast.

The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit system already owns 25 miles of track from Novato to the north end of Vallejo and would acquire use of the tracks from there to an Amtrak station at Suisun City.

“You gotta have a vision so you can get places,” said Farhad Mansourian, SMART general manager. At Suisun City, North Bay passengers could “go anywhere in the country,” he said.

The proposed extension, known as the Novato-Solano Hub, is included in the 2018 California State Rail Plan drafted by Caltrans as a blueprint for boosting ridership on the statewide rail and bus system from 110,000 daily trips currently to more than 1.3 million daily trips by 2040.

SMART officials said they were pleased to be included in the state plan and are seeking an $837,000 grant to pay for a feasibility study of the link to Suisun City.

...

SMART’s eastward track intersects the north-south line at a “Y” connection in Novato and runs east along Highway 37, then north along Highway 121 to Schellville, where it jogs east over the Napa River to Vallejo.

The only part of the line that flooded last winter is at Schellville and that condition would have to be addressed, Mansourian said.

The extension would offer relief to traffic congestion on Highway 37, which he described as “a mess.”

You beat me to it-- I was going to post this article. This seems like it would be a great enhancement for the SMART rail network. I am also impressed that the actual SMART ridership has nearly matched the forecasted ridership despite the terrible fires in the region and the likely disruption to service that resulted.

You beat me to it-- I was going to post this article. This seems like it would be a great enhancement for the SMART rail network. I am also impressed that the actual SMART ridership has nearly matched the forecasted ridership despite the terrible fires in the region and the likely disruption to service that resulted.

it would be a great enhancement to the SMART rail network. but before studying it, how about Napa County join SMART first and contribute some needed tax revenues?

I guess they could re-brand in the future if need be. Perhaps call themselves North Bay Rail (NBR) or North Bay Transit (NBT).

You could take the NBR Sonoma line, or the NBR Napa line, or the NBR Solano line, all of which would join together in Marin, servicing San Rafael and Larkspur. But that's way off in the future. First they need to figure out funding the final leg of the originally planned line up to Cloverdale!

A food hall of epic proportions is in the works at the San Francisco International Airport. It will be led by a trio of women — Pim Techamuanvivit of Kin Khao, Gabriela Cámara of Cala and Elisabeth Prueitt, who runs the growing Tartine empire with husband Chad Robertson.

If all goes according to plan, the project, called Manufactory Food Hall, will open in mid-2018 and span more than 3,200 square feet near boarding area A in the International Terminal. It will have three restaurants, according to the parties involved, with grab-and-go options, a full-service bar and a retail component.

Don't forget Solano county ! NSSMART, SMSNART, and I'm wondering if they are looking into the Mare Island/Vallejo RR spurs. One of the many pdf's I have looked at shows that they want passenger service along the corridor.

Bill could add millions of new homes next to California's public transit stations
By Roland Li – Reporter, San Francisco Business Times
3 hours ago

California State Senator Scott Wiener proposed a trio of new housing bills on Thursday, including one that would make it easier to build taller projects near public transit.

Wiener (D-San Francisco)'s SB 827 calls for the statewide removal of single-family home and parking requirements for projects within a half-mile of transit hubs like BART, Muni and Caltrain stations.

The bill would mandate height limits of at least 45 feet to 85 feet for new projects, depending on how close they are to transit. Cities would be able to raise height limits beyond those minimums, and developers could also build smaller projects within the areas if they chose . . . .

Most of San Francisco would be included under the proposed law, since Muni buses are present in every neighborhood. Land along BART stations and Caltrain stations throughout the East Bay, on the Peninsula and in SIlicon Valley would also qualify, according to a previous map by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission . . . .

I like the idea but there would be unintended consequences. NIMBY's would oppose new stations and transit extension on the principal that their neighborhood would then be upzoned. Similarly how would this conflict with well meaning historic preservation rules?

Also how would it be decided what stations are 'hubs' and result in mandated upzoning around them and could that process be hijacked?